Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Northgate Plan topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Northgate subarea plan: mid‑block corridors, ecology corridor and food‑forest ideas to guide redevelopment
Summary
OPCD told the committee the Northgate plan uses land‑use code tools to secure mid‑block corridors, improve walkability, expand open space including an 'ecology corridor' linking Barton Woods and Thornton Creek, and seeks to leverage transit and redevelopment to add housing and reduce surface parking.
Jesse London, regional standards planner at the Office of Planning and Community Development, presented the Northgate Regional Center subarea plan as an opportunity to convert a low‑density, surface‑parking pattern into a walkable, transit‑oriented neighborhood. "We have an opportunity as we make this plan to influence its development," London said, pointing to assets including a light‑rail station, an aggregation of medical uses and the Kraken Iceplex, which the presentation noted draws over 1,000,000 visitors a year. Major plan elements highlighted included strategic zoning changes, mid‑block corridors negotiated through land‑use code provisions, depaving where practical, and an ecology corridor to improve native planting and connectivity between Barton Woods and Thornton Creek.
Staff described outreach that targeted underrepresented groups through language‑specific focus groups and received roughly 10–12 formal comment letters. Council asked about Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) requirements: OPCD said PSRC requires adoption of subarea plans for designated regional centers and MICs by the end of 2027 for recertification and earlier adoption helps the centers qualify for transportation funds. Staff said some implementation actions (land‑use code work for mid‑block corridors, SDOT project lists) are already in progress and that more detailed zoning and implementation work will follow the plan's adoption.
